Chickasaw, Satsuma still want their own schools, despite potential suit

View full sizeIn this April 2011 file photo, signs for the Friends for Satsuma Schools outside the City Hall polling station encouraging voters to split from the Mobile County School System. (Press-Register/John David Mercer)

MOBILE COUNTY, Alabama -- Officials in Satsuma and Chickasaw said they’re not letting the threat of a lawsuit from the Mobile County school board stop them from planning to open their own school systems next August.

“We believe that we have the absolute means to support our own system,” said Satsuma school board president Linda Robbins. “We can meet the needs of our students, and I think the law is on our side.”

Alabama law allows cities with at least 5,000 residents to split from the county school district, just as Saraland did from Mobile County in 2008.

But Mobile County school leaders have said that because the Mobile County Public School System formed before the state education department did, the law allowing cities to split does not apply here. They said that any school board formed besides the county school board is operating illegally.

The Mobile County school board voted unanimously Tuesday to pursue legal action against Satsuma and Chickasaw, with county school officials saying they believe the two city systems would be too small and would not have enough revenue.

Satsuma and Chickasaw officials had presented letters to Mobile County schools Superintendent Roy Nichols asking to begin negotiations to split.

Typically, through the negotiations, the city is able to take possession of any school facilities within its boundaries. That would be three buildings apiece: Lee Elementary, Lee Intermediate and Satsuma High in Satsuma; and Hamilton Elementary, the Chickasaw School of Math and Science and the former Chickasaw School of Math and Science in Chickasaw.

Nichols sent Satsuma and Chickasaw school board members letters this week saying that the Mobile County school board has “serious reservations” about their “ability to provide a quality education.” He said the board has decided to file a lawsuit “in an effort to thwart your attempt” to split.

“In light of this action, I believe it would be premature to enter into negotiations,” Nichols wrote.

Robbins said she is disappointed that Mobile County has taken this route, and she is concerned that during this time of financial strain, money will be going to lawyers instead of to students.

Chickasaw school board President Robert McFall said he does not believe Mobile County’s suit would have any merit. He said he wrote Nichols a follow-up letter saying he would still like to start negotiating the split in September.

“It hasn’t clouded our vision to open by August 2012,” McFall said. “We’re going to move forward and that’s all there is to it. We’re not going to be delayed.”

Asked what the response to the possible lawsuit has been among Chickasaw residents, McFall replied: “I don’t think they’d want those things repeated in the newspaper. ... But after you take a deep breath and think about it, you realize that we’re on the right course. We’re going to make that deadline.”

Nichols has said that both city school systems would only have about 1,100 students apiece, which would limit the districts’ abilities to offer elective courses, extra-curricular activities, career-technical classes and other programs. Also, athletic teams would compete in small high school divisions.

They would be among the smallest school districts in Alabama.

Nichols has said the county puts more money into these cities than it gets in return.

Officials in Chickasaw and Satsuma, though, have said residents there want more control over how money is spent in their schools.

Chickasaw residents have said Mobile County hurt the city when it converted two of its schools into magnet schools two decades ago. And Satsuma residents have most recently expressed disappointment with the school system’s decision to send its children to a middle school several miles away in Axis.

Satsuma residents voted this past spring to raise property taxes and separate. The Chickasaw City Council raised sales taxes there to do so, with no citywide vote.